People teach parties a lesson, Pranab had said

Pranab Mukherjee, then President, strongly believed that the beauty of Indian democracy was that the people teach befitting lessons to political parties and force their leaders to do mid-course corrections.

I was excited when assigned to accompany him to Allahabad on Christmas in 2013 during his Southern sojourn. Paying rapt attention to his English heavy with the Bengali accent, I spent considerable time on board the President’s aircraft and spoke with him on many issues.

On our return, we were told by his press secretary that Mukherjee was tired and would not interact with us. I insisted that we be allowed because it’s a rare opportunity.

He agreed on the condition that we do not discuss politics but little did the press secretary realise that Mukherjee was a politician to the core and would love to talk politics more than anything else.

Referring to five, instead of three, elections between 1989 and 1999, Mukherjee said that politicians, accustomed to single party rule could not adjust to coalition politics. The people forced them to do mid-course corrections by continuing to give fractured mandates.

The result, he said, was an unwritten understanding among the parties that stability should not be disturbed. From then on the country saw stable governments despite fractured mandates. “You people (media) even suggested Constitutional amendments to ensure stability but people have their own way of setting things right,” he said smiling broadly.

I wanted his views on the highly sensitive issue of state bifurcation. He started saying that people and parties come together to resolve issues but his press secretary barged in and said a strict no.

Pranab then moved on to the simplicity of yesteryear politicians.